Yo-Yo Intermittent Test Results

What is it?

The Yo-Yo Intermittent Test is similar to the Yo-Yo endurance test (a variation of the beep test), except in the intermittent tests the participants have a short active break (5 or 10 seconds for the endurance and recovery versions, respectively). There are also two levels of the test (Level 1 & 2), each having a different starting speed and increments. Therefore there are four possible Yo-Yo intermittent tests that can be performed, and when viewing results it is not often mentioned which version was used. In the results presented below, the version that is used is recorded when known.

Top Scores

Comparing scores is often difficult, especially as there is more than one version and level of the yo-yo test, and all reports do not specify which version is being used.

Below are some of the test scores that have been found, with not all of them being confirmed results and the test variation used not clear.

There are several ways of reporting the results, sometimes the total distance is reported, other times the number of levels and shuttles. See the page on Yo-Yo Intermittent Test Levels for more information.

Football / Soccer - males

Malaysian midfielder D. Kenny Palraj made a strong claim for a berth in the National Under-23 side when he came out top in a fitness test conducted at the National Sports Institute (NSI). The 20-year-old scored the highest reading in the Yo-Yo Test - Level 22.4 (published in the http://www.thestar.com.my, 16 Aug 2013).

The Malaysia Super League (MSL) has decided to use the Yo-yo Test from 2013 to assess the fitness of its players. Standards will be set and all players must pass the test in order to play in the MSL. There will be different passing standards for goalkeepers, defenders, mid fielders and forwards. (from todayonline.com, 30 Oct 2012)

Professional soccer player Joe Partington achieved 22.4 at the AFC Bournemouths pre-season training camp on 3/7/2010. This is fully documented by the club. (personal communication from Telboy, unconfirmed result).

In a study of 13-14 year old Spanish footballers, yo-yo test results ranged from 13.1 for center fullbacks to 14.46 for wide midfielders (Assessment of anthropometric and physiological aspects of 13-14 years old Spanish footballers, by Juan Bautista Castilla Arroyo)

The head of fitness training at Collingwood AFL club was quoted as saying that the Melbourne Victory (National Football/Soccer team) players perform the intermittent yo-yo test, and were scoring "high teens and 20s. Getting about 20 to 21, they’re looking at over two kilometers. Two-and-a-half would be exceptionally elite." (from an article on AFL.com.au)

Cardiff City defenders Roger Johnson and Tony Capaldi are the best performing in the yo-yo test, with scores over 20 (retrieved from icwales.co.uk July 07)

Soccer legend Kristine Lilly ran 49 shuttles for the YYIRT (10 second recovery periods) in September 2010 at the age of 39, setting the record for the US Women's National Team. This mark was recently beaten by 22-year-old Kelley O'Hara who kept going all the way up to 52 shuttles (2,080 meters) (from an article on US soccer online, 9 Jan 2011)

AFL - men

The yo-yo test was added to the AFL combine testing in 2017. Andrew Brayshaw achieved the best score in the inaugural test, reaching level 22.4

AFL - women

The first ever women's AFL combine was held in 2017. The winner of the yo-yo test was Bridie Kennedy who reached level 17.3.

Rugby

Josua Vici, 22, is the fittest player in the Fijian national 7s squad. Vici scored the highest score of 22 in the yo-yo test. Another notable result was level 18 by Leone Nakarawa, (from the Fiji Sun, July 9, 2016)

In the annual test for the Brisbane Broncos RL team, Darius Boyd and Todd Murphy were the best performers. Sam Thaiday was a surprisingly strong performer recording 18.5. Hooker Andrew McCullough holds the record with 22. (from article in the Courier Mail, Jan 3 2016)

The Hurricanes rugby team from NZ had some good pre-season yoyo test results. Hugh Renton made it to 18.6, Brad Shields 19.1, Frae Wilson 19.7 and finally James Marshall made his way through to 20.4. (from the stuff.co.nz, November 28, 2014).

Somewhere in the UK, elite referees have to run a level 13 beep test or a level 18 yoyo, while beginners need to run a level 8 beep or a level 16 yoyo. In Warwickshire, Level 5 refs only have to get a YoYo of 16. In Canada, requirements for the YoYo is 18-19 as acceptable, with the equivalent for the beep test being 12.6 to 13.5. The optimal is > 19 or > 13.6 for the beep (from a discussion on Rubgyrefs.com website, Nov 2012).

USA Rugby 7's National Coach Al Caravelli stated that a minimum requirement for the Yo-Yo test that he and his coaches look for in 7s candidates is a level of 18 or higher. He said that some international players have recorded scores around 22. In recent testing, four players that scored above 18: Tim Acker (Kutztown University), Jim Rosato (Philadelphia-Whitemarsh Rugby Club), Glen Thommes (Salesianum High School/incoming University of Delaware) and 27 year old Nick Koon (Pittsburgh Harlequins). (from the EPRU website, June 2011).

New convert from League, Sonny Bill Williams performed solidly in a "yo-yo" test in All Blacks training, exiting around level 19 with a group of fellow backs. (from stuff.co.nz, Oct 2010)

All Black Richie Mccaw scored 19.2, as seen on this video. Another All Black Conrad Smith is also said to have reached 19.4.

Performance of elite rugby players was 1656 m, almost the same as for sub-elite players, 1564 m. (for the Yo-Yo IR1 test, from Bangsbo et al. (2008))

Field Hockey

The Indian hockey team had to undergo the yoyo test on their first day of training in more than three months. The team recorded averages of levels 17 and 18, which was satisfactory for the coach. The coach Harendra Singh was quoted as saying that “The top European teams and the Australians, during training, easily score around 22-23. The Australians score about 15 when they come back from a layoff."
(from Indian Express online, 18 March 2011)

In the testing of the Syracuse University’s D1 field hockey team, the highest score in the yo yo level 1 test was a 14.6, with the average around 12.2. The players are 17-22 years old - college freshmen to seniors (personal communication from coach).

Cricket

South African Kagiso Rabada averages 19.2 in his latest yo-yo test, which puts him on par with AB de­Villiers and Dale Steyn on a good day (from an article on http://www.sport24.co.za, 13 Nov 2016)

Australian fast bowler Doug Bollinger achieved a yo-yo test result of 19.2 after a fitness program following being dropped from the test team. (from the Cooma Express online, Jan 2011)

In some testing of the Australian Cricket team, player Steve O'Keefe top scored with 20.6, with vice-captain Michael Clarke not far behind with 20.1. (from video of Australia Cricket fitness testing, Sept 2010).

Basketball

Scots College student Jonathan Mbakwe has just been selected for the New South Wales team in the National Championships, and was tested in the Intermittent Yo Yo test and scored a 21.4 (retrieved from The Scots College website, Feb 2011)

The Oregon women’s basketball team had to get above a 15 to pass their Yo-Yo test (Goducks.com, Jan 2009).

Badminton

Netball

Fiji's U20 coach Vicki Wilson wants her mid-court players to be at 20 in their yo-yo test and players who would man the semi-circle to be on 18 (from the Fiji Times, 'Wilson sets U20 team standard', 11 AUg 2016)